PETERSBURG - A $75 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration will fund improvements between Richmond and Washington. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation applied for the grant, which will pay for work on the federally d

PETERSBURG - A $75 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration will fund improvements between Richmond and Washington.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation applied for the grant, which will pay for work on the federally designated Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.

The grant was announced Thursday and is part of $8 billion awarded to states to develop the country's first nationwide program of high-speed passenger rail service.

The grant to Virginia will pay for more than 11 miles of new high-speed rail track to be built between Richmond and Washington. The project will eliminate one of the most severe bottlenecks on the Southeast Corridor, and will improve on-time performance and lay the groundwork for future high-speed rail in the region.

Virginia submitted a second application, for $1.8 billion in rail capacity improvements between Washington and Petersburg. The state is preparing to apply for federal funding for the Richmond/Hampton Roads Passenger Rail Project, which is in the planning process.

The Southeast Corridor connects Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., Richmond and Washington. The long-term goal for the corridor is for trains to go up to 110 mph, reducing travel time from Washington to Richmond by a third.

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